Tea olives prefer well-drained fertile and acidic soil. The strong fragrance can be smelled from several hundred feet away. What Should You Fertilize Tea Olive Plants With & When? Spruce up your outdoor space with products handpicked by HGTV editors. Depending on the species and cultivar, some types reach only six feet while others can tower up to 30 feet. Flowering Shrubs; Fall Color Shrubs; Fragrant Orange Tea Olive - Osmanthus fragrans aurantiacus - 3 Gallon Pot; A cousin of the white-flowering Tea Olive, the Orange Tea Olive produces the same sweetly fragrant flowers but in a wonderful creamy orange color. She is an outdoor lover who spends her weekends tending her raised garden and small orchard of fruit trees. Although adaptable to both sun and shade as well as any soil type, tea olive falters in bone-dry soil or when subjected to soggy ground. One of the most refreshing signs of fall – and spring – is the unique and memorable fragrance of tea olive in full bloom. Mexican heather looks dainty and delicate, but this sturdy little shrub is actually tough as nails. Osmanthus delavayi (Delavay osmanthus, Delavay tea olive; Zones 7 - 9) is native to western China and grows 6 to 8 feet tall and a bit wider. Commonly, you can call the plant tea olive or sweet olive, as both names nod to the sweet scent emitted by the plant's tiny white blooms. This evergreen tree or shrub, depending on whether you prune it, is an old-fashioned Southern favorite known for its ease of maintenance and versatile uses in the landscape. Look for a complete fertilizer with slow-release nitrogen to provide food throughout the growing season, advises University of Florida IFAS Gardening Solutions. Attractive, medium green leaves. The shrub grows up to 30 feet tall and wide depending on the cultivar. Easily grown in our southern climate, plant in a well drained, sunny spot. This plant is very fragrant and will fill a garden with scent. Once you experience the fragrance which can travel way beyond the garden, you will never mistake its source. Follow the application directions on the package. This evergreen shrub bears fragrant flowers characteristic of the genus. Some describe it as a rose scent, others as gardenia and still others as jasmine. Osmanthus fragrans Fragrant Tea Olive is a mid to large evergreen shrub. The tea olive’s dense foliage provides a high-contrast backdrop for the tree’s best feature, its flowers. In especially warm climates, the tea olive bush will grow best with afternoon shade to offer protection from hot, direct sunlight. (Syringa vulgaris) When the heady perfume of lilac fills the air, it's a sure sign that spring is … Tiny white flower … The evergreen foliage is dark and leathery. Check Other Stores closed. Attractive, medium green leaves. No matter where you live, you can enjoy a touch of the tropics with princess flower. Scales are small, stationary insects that cause waxy coverings, yellowing leaves, defoliation and dying branches and twigs. With its glossy green leaves, tea olive, Osmanthus  fragrans, can be pruned into a shrub or hedge, or if left alone can become a small tree at upwards of 20 feet or more. If using the plant as a specimen, plant it near a window or door for enjoying up close – especially when it puts on that hallmark show of fragrance. Width is similar to height. Photo: Paula Gross. Alternatively, soak your tools in a 10 percent bleach solution for 30 minutes. Leaf spot. Fragrant Tea Olive Osmanthus fragrans. If you choose to prune, cut back to right above a healthy leaf bud. The dainty clusters of tiny, butter-yellow flowers cover this densely branched shrub. Other cultivars offer less common bloom colors in pale to deep yellow and orange, emitting strong scents of peach or orange blossom. Privacy Policy. Blossoms of the hardy tea Olive are visually inconsequential, but their impact can be significant. From the Vanilla Strawberry to the Spilled Wine Weigela, our Pink Flowering Shrubs make it easy to lend a pop of vibrant color to your landscape. This species belongs to the genus Osmanthus. They grow faster when they have better soil quality and water. In general, these bushes are pest-free and disease-free, although prolonged drought or wet soil may stress the plant, making it susceptible to diseases such as botryosphaeria canker or root rot. And because the Fragrant Tea Olive grows slowly, its dense evergreen growth can be pruned into a hedge or shrub, providing an effective and decorative screen that's adaptable to your needs. Plant near walks and entrances to enjoy the fragrance. ), also known as false holly, features fragrant blooms. University of Florida IFAS Gardening Solutions. Smaller leafed cultivars of holly tea olive (Osmanthus heterophyllus), Fortune’s tea olive (O. x fortunei) and Delavay tea olive (O. delavayi) make good hedges and can be maintained as low as 4 feet tall. The shrub blooms recurrent white flowers but is better known for the soothing aroma emitted into the air - a scent that will linger in your yard. Vigorous evergreen shrub. Oh, heavenly fragrance! Photo by: Image courtesy of Atlanta Botanical Garden, Image courtesy of Atlanta Botanical Garden. Because of their natural growth habit, tea olives don’t require pruning. Aphids are small, pear-shaped bugs that drain the sap from the plant and cause yellowed or curled leaves. Lilac. These beauties can be used as a privacy hedge, or as a foundational plant. With its glossy green leaves, tea olive, Osmanthus fragrans, can be pruned into a shrub or hedge, or if left alone can become a small tree at upwards of 20 feet or more. They are usually found in clusters and can be hosed off the plant. Get Pricing and Availability. Don't miss out and get yours today. Orange-flowering tea olive has vibrant, abundant blooms in fall. The Osmanthus Tea Olive is a cold hardy shrub that blooms white fragrant flowers in the fall.